Loading apparatus for material treating machines



July 2, 1957 AVERY 2,797,835

LOADING APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL TREATING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS F/QED J All/EB) H060 L. KZ/jf/L 71 /40 ATTORNEYS.

July 2, 1957 Y F. J. AVERY ETAL 2,797,835

' LOADING APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL TREATING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sha e: 2

INVENTORS F950 1 41 52 v ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent LOADING APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL TREATING MACHINES Fred J. Avery, La Grange, and Hugo L. Kuehlthau, Chicago, 111.; said Avery assignor to said Kuehlthau, Cook County, Ill.

Application January 17, 1955, Serial No. 482,332

7 Claims. (Cl. 214-707) This invention relates to loading apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for loading lose material, such as castings and the like, into a receiver such as a cleaning apparatus.

In loaders for cleaning apparatus, mills and the like, it is normally desirable to maintain th spa e. immediately in front ofthe apparatus clear and to position the load carrying device of the loader at floor level spaced from the cleaning apparatus in order to load the device.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a loading apparatus accomplishing these purposes which is relatively simple and inexpensive to C ns ruct and which is highly efiicient in use.

Another object is to provide a loading apparatus in which the load carrying device is guided in it's elevating and tilting movements by guide means formed at least in part by a link pivotally connected to the device.

According to one feature of the invention, the g ide link is pivoted at its upper end to an upright frame above the load carrying device and at its lower end to the top part of the load carrying device to guide it for substantially horizontal movement from a loading to a discharging position. The lower end of the device is guided for substantially vertical movement by guide tracks or the like so that the device is elevated and tilted to discharge a load.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a loading apparatus embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the loading apparatus in association with a cleaning mill to be loaded.

As best seen in Figure 2, a cleaning mill indicated generally at 10 is to be loaded with castings or the like to be cleaned through an elevated loading opening. The space immediately in front of the cleaning mill is preferably to be kept clear to receive containers or the like as indicated at 11 into which the cleaned material can be discharged.

The lo n pp u p p mpr s a. er cally elongated frame including a pair of side posts 12 spaced from the mill 10 and extending to a level substantially above the top of the mill. Cross beams 13 are carried by the P s s nd. m y h suppor d hrough sh vertical posts 14' resting on top ofthe mill itself,

The material to be loaded is adapted to be carried by a load carrying device indicated generally at- 15' which comprises an upper chute po on 16 open at its top. end and a lower body portion 17 which may receive the, load proper. The load receiving portion 17 may be in the form of an open top box but as illustrated is in the form of a frame open at its sides to receive a separate box 18 in which the material is carried. The box 18 may be inserted in the frame 17 and may be secured therein by fastening devices 19 operated to locking position through a linkage 21 to hold the box securely positioned within the frame.

2,797,835 Ice Patented July 1957 The frame and box are normally positioned as. shown in full lines in Figures l and 2' to receive a load of material to be treated and are preferably at or approximately at floor level for convenience of handling, The load carrying device is adapted to be elevated and tilted to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 2 in which the end of the chute 16 extends into the loading opening of the mill and the box is raised above the loading opening and tilted so that articles therein will flow by gravity through the chute into the mill.

For guiding the box in its elevating and tiltingmovements, guiding means are provided for separately guiding the upper and lower ends of the box. As shown, the upper end of the box is guided by links 22 pivoted at their upper ends to the cross beams 13 and at their lower ends pivotally connected through the tubular bearing 23 to the upper end portion of the load carrying device. The links 22 normally lie in the position shown in full lines when the load carrying device is in its loading position and swing to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig ure 2 to guide the upper end of the load carrying device substantially horizontally toward the mill.

The lower end of the load car ying device is guided for generally vertical movement to the full tilted position shown in Figure 2. For this purpose the posts 12 form guide tracks having inwardly facing channels to receive guide rollers 23 carried by the lower ends of the load c y n c A a level s b t n ia ly o izo y dis.- placed from the lower edge of the load receiving opening track extensions 24 are provided which are arcuately curved about the axis 23 when the links 22 are in their h in p t n as h n in gur he t a k extensions 24 connect to the track portions of the posts 12 so that the follower rollers 23 will travel vertically up the posts 12 and then arcuately around the extensions 24 as the load carrying device is raised.

To raise the load carrying device from its loading to its discharging position, the beams 13 carry winches25 which are mounted on a rotatable shaft 26. The shaft ie a p ck en a ed by a h n 28 h h is driven through a sprocket 29 by a gear reducer 31 and a motor 32. Cables 33 are wound over the drums 25 an ext nd. v t r nt n a r t e. o o the lo d ca ry ng d ice t b se u hereto by anchors i di a d. t 3

n use i h he load r yin i e n ts l n posi ion nd wi h a oa o m ter al h ei he mot 32 may be energized to raise the load carrying device. When the eb e f3 a firs h e d hey will l he lo carry n evi e lockw se ab the r l rs 3 wi hou tai ng t m the floo S -hee th li 2 s i ahout an axis spaced above the rollers 23 some relative collapsing movement is required to accommodate the initia i t n mo men F h purp se. as s the L ks 2 r te med i h l ng t d s ot t heir o er nd hro h which hey are on ec ed. to e p o rod 23 extend ng hrou h. the he rin ee .3- A the. loa ca ry g devise ti ts th o 23' will move. u in he lo a d h n wi l m e down n h l ts on o toms. at h end o he o s and the links. e m ri d n ensi'oninc th L k ar ways car yin a p r of the load du in ac ua rais n he. t nsion. o th ab es .3. i educed end-l ss p er is r qu r d. then woul he he case f he cables. wer req ire t r y h fnll oadt D ri g the ac ua rai ins n rement, h o low s 2 w ll trave rtieal y up thepo ts 1.2 a d the nks .2. wil swing further to the right to their discharging position. By the time the followers 23 reach the level of the lower ends of the links 22, the end of the chute 16 will be projected into the loading opening of the mill and the lower edge of the loading device will be substantially horizontal.

As the raising movement continues, the followers 23 will travel along the arcuate tracks 24 so that the lower ends of links 22 will be held in the same position with the end of the chute still projecting into the loading opening. As the loading device is raised to its full discharging position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 2, the material therein will fall through the chute into the mill.

After the mill has been loaded, the motor 32 can be de-energized or reversed and the loading device will return by gravity to its loading position to receive a further load of material. It will be seen that with the present apparatus the loading device is guided very accurately in a simple manner to elevate and tilt it from a loading position to a discharging position. In the discharging position, the discharge chute of the loading device is accurately positioned in the loading opening of the mill so that all of the material will be discharged into the mill with no possibility of spillage. At the same time, the space immediately in front of the mill is left clear so that the treated material removed therefrom can be picked up andcarried away without interference from the loading apparatus.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Loading apparatus comprising a vertically elongated frame having spaced substantially vertical fixed guide members, a load carrying device having a chute open at the top through which material may be discharged, follower members on the device adjacent to one end thereof engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at one end on a fixed horizontal axis spaced vertically from the other end of the device and connected at its other end to the device adjacent to the other end thereof, and means to raise the loading device relative to the frame so that one end of the device will be guided bythe guide members and the other end by the link to tilt the device to an unloading position.

2. Loading apparatus comprising a vertically elongated frame. having spaced substantially vertical fixed guide members, a load carrying device having a chute open at the top through which material may be discharged, follower members on the device adjacent to the bottom thereof engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at one end on a fixed horizontal axis spaced vertically from the other end of the device and connected at its other end pivoted to the device adjacent to the top thereof, and means to raise the loading device relative to the frame so that the lower end of the device will be guided by the guide members and the upper end of the device by the link to tilt the device to an unloading position.

3. Loading apparatus comprising a vertically elongated frame having spaced substantially vertical guide members, a load carrying device having a chute open at the top through which material may be discharged, follower members on the device adjacent to the bottom thereof engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at one end on a fixed horizontal axis and at its other end pivoted to the device adjacent to the top thereof, and means to raise the loading device relative to the frame so that the lower end of the device will be guided by the guide members and the upper end of the device by the link to tilt the device to an unloading position, the guide members being curved adjacent to their upper ends in a direction toward the point of unloading of the device and extending above the connection of the link to the device.

4. Loading apparatus comprising a vertically elongated frame having spaced substantially vertical fixed guide members, a load carrying device having a chute open at the top through which material may be discharged, follower members on the device adjacent to the bottom thereof engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at its upper end on a fixed horizontal axis on the frame vertically above the upper end of the device and at its lower end pivotally connected on a horizontal axis to the device adjacent to the top thereof, and means to raise the loading device relative to the frame so that the lower end of the device will be guided by the guide members and the upper end by the link to tilt the device to an unloading position.

5. Loading apparatus comprising a vertically elongated frame having spaced substantially vertical guide members, a load carrying device having a chute open at the top through which material may be discharged, follower members on the device adjacent to the bottom thereof engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at its upper end on the frame above the device and at its lower end to the device adjacent to the top thereof, the guide members being arcuately curved at their upper ends about the pivotal connection between the link and the device as the parts are positioned when the upper and lower ends of the device are at the same level, the curved portions of the guide members extending above said level, and means to raise the loading device relative to the guide members.

6. Apparatus for loading material into a receiver having an elevated loading opening comprising an upright frame having vertically extending fixed guide members spaced horizontally from the loading opening, a load carrying device having an open top through which material may be discharged into the loading opening, follower means on the lower part of the loading device engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at one end on a horizontal axis spaced vertically from the upper end of the device and connected at its other end to the upper end of the device to guide the upper end of the device horizontally toward the loading opening as the device is raised, and means to raise the device relative to the frame so that the lower end of the device will be guided by the guide members and the upper end by the link to tilt the device to an unloading position.

7. Apparatus for loading material into a receiver having an elevated loading opening comprising an upright frame having vertically extending fixed guide members spaced from the loading opening, a load carrying device having an open top through which material may be discharged into the loading opening, follower means on the lower'part of the loading device engaging the guide members to be guided thereby, a link pivoted at its upper end on the frame above the level of the device and at ,its lower end to the upper part of the device to guide the upper open end of the device toward the loading openving as the device is raised and means to raise the device relative to the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

